George William (Billy) Abbott

A memorial service for George William (Billy) Abbott, age 94, of Rio Vista, Texas will be held at 10:00 A.M., Tuesday, March 19, 2024 at the First United Methodist Church in Cleburne.  Visitation for family and friends will be from 6:00 – 7:30 P.M., Monday, March 18th at Crosier-Pearson funeral home in Cleburne.  The Committal Service will be held at 10:00 AM, Friday, April 19, 2024 in Confederate Cemetery, 998 Dickinson Rd., Alvin, Texas.

 Billy passed away Friday, March 8, 2024 in Cleburne, Texas. He was born on October 3, 1929 in Alvin, Texas, attending school there and graduating in 1946.  Bessie and Billy were married on April 12, 1953 in Alvin where they raised their three children.  Billy went to work for Southwestern Bell at the age of 18 and retired from the phone company as Service Manager for Galveston Island in 1985. Shortly after starting his Southwestern Bell career, Mr. Abbott served in the U.S. Army from 1951 to 1953 with a deployment to France in the Signal Core. After retiring, Billy couldn’t rest on his laurels, so for fun, he drove a school bus with Alvin ISD for ten years and enjoyed his interactions with the students and fellow bus drivers.

 The Abbott family spent much of their time ranching, participating in rodeos, and competing in FFA and 4-H events.  Billy was a rodeo pick-up man, working rodeos throughout South Texas including the Texas Prison Rodeo where he had the privilege to share the arena with his father for several years. His Texas Prison Rodeo work landed him appearances in two movies, Stir Crazy and Urban Cowboy.  Mr. Abbott served as President of the Brazoria County Fair and the Texas Youth Rodeo Association.  Billy was an active leader in Brazoria County 4-H.  Though busy, Billy made family his main priority and always made time for his wife, children, and extended family.

 In 1995, Billy and Bessie moved from Alvin to Rio Vista to be closer to their grown children and grandchildren.  With the help of their family, they enjoyed running a Brahman cow/calf operation for over twenty-five years. Upon arriving in Rio Vista, both joined the First United Methodist Church of Cleburne and were very active in Prime Timer’s where they hosted several bus trips and excursions, with Billy starting every road trip with “On the Road Again”. Billy was also active in Bible Studies and the Methodist Men’s Group.

 Family and friends will attest to Billy’s love of playing “42” dominoes and telling stories and jokes.  He fit the bill as one who never met a stranger.  His humor was infectious, and he enjoyed bringing smiles to everyone he met.  Later in life, Billy and Bessie moved to Santa Fe Trails in Cleburne.  Although Bessie passed away shortly after their arrival, Billy thrived and enjoyed living out his time with close friends and the fantastic staff of Sante Fe Trails.  He helped wherever needed and was truly the “boss” of the domino table!

 Mr. Abbott is survived by his son, Gerald Abbott (Barbara) of Cleburne; daughter, Nancy Martin (Stuart) of Fort Worth; grandchildren, Stephanie Nelson (Chris), Kyle Martin (Katie), and Skeete Abbott (Rebekah); great grandchildren, Ainsley, Brody, Jocelyn, Macy, Olivia and Alexa. He is preceded in death by his loving wife Bessie, parents Viola and Gerald Abbott, Hazel Turner; sister Annie Mary Senter and daughter Nina Kay Abbott.

Memorials may be made to the Santa Fe Trails Garden Project, 402 South Colonial Drive, Cleburne, Texas 76033.